The bottom line is clear: Our vital interests in Afghanistan are limited and military victory is not the key to achieving them. On the contrary, waging a lengthy counterinsurgency war in Afghanistan may well do more to aid Taliban recruiting than to dismantle the group, help spread conflict further into Pakistan, unify radical groups that might otherwise be quarreling amongst themselves, threaten the long-term health of the U.S. economy, and prevent the U.S. government from turning its full attention to other pressing problems. -- Afghanistan Study Group

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

The DoD is reporting a new death previously unreported by the military. Sgt. 1st Class Duane A. Thornsbury died from a vehicle roll-over accident in Baghdad, Iraq on Saturday, September 12th.

The DoD is reporting another new death previously unreported by the military. Pfc. Matthew M. Martinek died at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center on Friday, September 11th. from an IED and small arms fire/RPG attack in Paktika province, Afghanistan on Friday, September 4th.

The AP is reporting the deaths of two U.S. service members in an IED attack in an undisclosed location in southern Afghanistan on Monday, September 14th.

VP Biden in Baghdad on 3rd visit this year, a mission to show White House focus on war:

Reported Security incidents:

Baghdad:#1: One civilian was wounded in a bomb explosion on Monday in western Baghdad, a police source said. “An improvised explosive device went off Monday (Sept. 14) on the road near al-Salam hospital in Yarmouk neighborhood in western Baghdad, injuring a passing civilian” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

Diyala Prv:#1: An improvised explosive device went off Monday (Sept. 14) near a civilian vehicle on the main road between Hamrien region and al-Saadiya district, south of Khanaqin, injuring three civilians,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. “A security force arrested two suspected gunmen in al-Asakra village in al-Saadiya district,” he added. He gave no more details.

Hilla:#1: A police officer in the central Iraqi city of Hilla died on Tuesday when a bomb attached to his car exploded, killing him instantly, police said. The officer was on way to work at the local police station, police there told the German Press Agency dpa. Four people were injured in that blast and were admitted to a nearby hospital in the town, roughly 40 kilometres south of Baghdad.

Nassiriya:#1: A roadside bomb went off Tuesday near a joint Iraqi-U.S. convoy in east of Nassiriya, without casualties, a police source said. “The bomb was detonated targeting a U.S. engineering convoy, accompanied by police forces, in east of Nassiriya city on Tuesday (Sept. 15),” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. “The blast caused no casualties,” he noted.

#2: Police forces found on Tuesday 12 bombs in a depot in the south of Nassiriya, the Thi-Qar police said in a statement. “Acting on a tip-off, police forces found 12 bombs near al-Sharief al-Rady school in al-Washah region in Souq al-Shiyoukh district, south of Nassiriya,” said the statement received by Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

Kirkuk:#1: Three persons on Tuesday were injured in a hand grenade blast in downtown Kirkuk, according to a local police chief. “Two policemen and a civilian were wounded in central Kirkuk when unknown gunmen threw a hand grenade from a bridge above,” Brig. Sarhad Qadir told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

Mosul:#1: A police officer on Monday was killed and seven other police personnel were injured when an explosive charge went off in downtown Mosul, according to a local security source. “A police lieutenant was killed and seven National Police personnel were wounded when an explosive charge detonated in al-Farouq area, downtown Mosul,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

#2: An Iraqi army soldier was killed by gunmen in northern Mosul on Monday, according to an army source. “An Iraqi soldier was killed on Monday (Sept. 14) by unknown gunmen at a checkpoint in al-Sukar neighborhood in northern Mosul,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

#3: A traffic policeman on Tuesday was wounded when unknown gunmen opened fire on him in eastern Mosul city, according to a local police source. “Today, unknown gunmen shot a traffic cop at Adan neighborhood, eastern Mosul,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

Afghanistan: "The Forgotten War"#1: An Air Force MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aircraft crashed in Afghanistan Sept. 13 at approximately 5:30 a.m. Kabul time. The aircraft was flying a combat mission when positive control of the aircraft was lost. When the aircraft remained on a course that would depart Afghanistan airspace, a U.S. Air Force manned aircraft took proactive measures to down the MQ-9 in a remote area of northern Afghanistan. The Reaper impacted the side of a mountain and there were no reports of civilian injuries or damage to civilian property at the site.

#2: Police in the Pakistani city of Karachi thwarted an attack on an oil storage facility near the country's main port after the assailants killed a guard, the city's police chief said on Tuesday.The attempted attack on the oil storage terminal, the first such incident in Karachi, took place late on Monday, said police chief Waseem Ahmed. Ahmed said three men in a van and clad in women's burqas tried to enter the facility, used by different oil companies to store oil. When a security guard tried to stop them, they opened fire and killed him. "The police and other security guards retaliated and as a result the men fled, leaving behind 10 hand grenades, three AK-47 rifles and three burqas," Ahmed told Reuters.

#3: Separately, three members of a paramilitary force were wounded when a low-intensity bomb exploded on Tuesday in a central Karachi district.

#4: A roadside bomb struck one government vehicle in Heart province west of Afghanistan Tuesday, wounding two persons including a child, police said. "It was 01:00 p.m. local time when a roadside bomb planted by rebels hit a car of Rural Development Department injuring the driver and a child," deputy to provincial police chief Dilawar Shah Dilawar told Xinhua.

#5: Fighter jets pounded suspected militant hide-outs Tuesday and killed five insurgents in a tribal region where the Pakistani military declared victory over insurgents six months ago following an offensive, an official said. The bombings occurred in the Salarzai area of the northwest Bajur tribal region, local government official Zahid Khan said.

#6: Troops killed eight militants in a clash during a search in the northwestern Khyber Pass region, the main route for supplies to Western forces in neighbouring Afghanistan, paramilitary officials said. One soldier was killed.

#7: Security forces killed three militants during a search in the Swat valley, northwest of Islamabad, the military said. The army launched an offensive in April to clear out militants who had taken over the former tourist valley.

#8: A bomb blast was heard and smoke could be seen rising in the Afghan capital on Tuesday close to foreign military bases in eastern Kabul, a Reuters witness said. Helicopters were also seen flying over the area close to the Jalalabad road, a highway which has seen a number of bomb attacks in the past.

#9: Rockets fired by militants in Khost province in east of Afghanistan wounded two children and caused panic among the locals on Tuesday, police said. "Some 10 rockets fired by Taliban rebels in Sabari district Tuesday, one of which struck a house injuring two innocent children," district police chief Rasoul Marjan told Xinhua. Taliban insurgents have speed up attacks.